Pronombres (Pronouns)
Módulos de Gramática (Grammar Modules)
Page Title
What are relative pronouns?
Relative pronouns (pronoms relatifs) are words like "who", "which" and "that" in English. In French, the most common ones are qui, que, dont and où. They join two sentences together and give extra information about a noun without repeating it.
Instead of saying:
Instead Label
J'ai laissé un gâteau sur la table. Le gâteau a mystérieusement disparu.
Use Pro Label
The Main Relative Pronouns
| Pronoun | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | subject of the relative clause | L'homme qui parle est mon père. |
| que (qu') | direct object of the relative clause | Le film que j'ai vu était génial. |
| dont | replaces de + noun | Le livre dont je parle est célèbre. |
| où | place or time | La ville où j'habite est petite. |
Pro-Tip: Qui vs. Que
The easiest way to tell them apart: Qui is always followed by a verb. Que is always followed by a subject (noun or pronoun).
C'est le film qui commence. (followed by verb) vs. C'est le film que je regarde. (followed by 'je').
Going Deeper: Dont and Où
1. The power of "Dont"
Dont replaces a phrase starting with de. This includes possession ("whose") and verbs that take de (like parler de, avoir besoin de).
L'homme dont le fils est ici. (The man whose son...)
Le voyage dont je rêve. (The trip of which I dream / I dream of...)
2. "Où" for Time and Space
While où usually means "where", it is also used for time and translates to "when" in English relative clauses.
Le jour où nous nous sommes rencontrés. (The day when we met.)
L'endroit où j'ai grandi. (The place where I grew up.)
Deep Insight: Never Omit!
In English, we often say "The book [that] I read". In French, you must always keep the relative pronoun: <br/>Le livre que j'ai lu. (Correct) <br/>Le livre j'ai lu. (Incorrect)